Method and device for driving at least one capacitive actuator

ABSTRACT

In a driving operation, a capacitive actuator is charged from a series circuit of two capacitors having a charging voltage. An actuator voltage established at the actuator is controlled to a prescribed desired value in a course of a subsequent driving operation; the same procedure occurs for further actuators.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of copending InternationalApplication No. PCT/DE97/02905, filed Dec. 12, 1997, which designatedthe United States.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a method and a device for driving at least onecapacitive actuator, in particular a piezoelectrically operated fuelinjection valve of an internal combustion engine.

Piezoelectric actuators contain a multiplicity of piezoceramic layers,and form a so-called stack, which upon the application of a voltagechanges its dimensions, in particular its length s by a deviation ds, orgenerates an electric voltage in the event of a mechanical compressionor tension.

Published, Non-Prosecuted German Patent Application DE 41 22 984 A1discloses a driving device for a piezoelectric element in which thedriving of the piezoelectric element is performed via correspondingelectronic switches having prescribed charging and discharging times.

Published, Non-Prosecuted German Patent Application 196 32 872.1 A,corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/250,875, filed onFeb. 16, 1999, has already proposed a method for driving a capacitiveactuator, in accordance with which the actuator is charged with aprescribed charging voltage until the voltage measured at the actuatorduring the driving operation reaches a prescribed value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and adevice for driving at least one capacitive actuator which overcomes theabove-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art methods and devices ofthis general type, in which a method of voltage control during drivingof at least one capacitive actuator is possible even when it isimpossible to break off the charging operation during driving.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, inaccordance with the invention, a method for driving at least onecapacitive actuator, including a piezoelectrically operated fuelinjection valve of an internal combustion engine, which contains:

charging, at a start of a driving operation, an actuator of a pluralityof actuators with a prescribable charging voltage via a coil from aseries circuit composed of a charging capacitor and a charge-reversingcapacitor, and discharging the actuator into the charge-reversingcapacitor at an end of the driving operation;

comparing an actuator voltage of the actuator due to the prescribablecharging voltage with a prescribed desired-value voltage;

determining a new charging voltage for a next driving operation independence on a difference between the prescribed desired-value voltageand the actuator voltage; and

charging the charging capacitor for the next driving operation to avoltage corresponding to a difference between the new charging voltageand a voltage present across the charge-reversing capacitor.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is further provided,in accordance with the invention, a device for driving at least onecapacitive actuator, including:

a voltage source having a positive pole and a negative pole;

a charging capacitor disposed between the positive pole and the negativepole;

a control circuit controlling the voltage source;

a first series circuit disposed parallel to the charging capacitor andcontaining a charging switch connected to the positive pole forconducting current away from the positive pole and a discharging switchconnected to the negative pole for conducting current toward thenegative pole;

a ground terminal;

a second series circuit disposed between a connection point of thecharging switch and the discharging switch and the ground terminal, thesecond series circuit containing a charge reversing capacitor having arecharge voltage connected to the charging switch and a coil;

at least one third series circuit connected in series with the secondseries circuit and containing an actuator having an actuator voltage anda controlled Power-MOSFET-switch; and

a diode disposed parallel to the at least one third series circuit andconducting from the ground terminal to the coil.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin a method and a device for driving at least one capacitive actuator,it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown,since various modifications and structural changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scopeand range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be bestunderstood from the following description of specific embodiments whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph of an actuator voltage Up plotted against a chargingvoltage Uc according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic, circuit block diagram of a device for drivinga plurality of actuators; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart relating to a mode of operation of the circuitaccording to FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention proceeds from the consideration that what is involved, asa rule, is temperature-induced variations which have a very large timeconstant compared with the temporal timing of successive actuatoroperations in an internal combustion engine, or manufacturing toleranceswhich do not change. There is therefore no need to carry out a controlor regulation of the recharging in an actual control cycle (drivingoperation), it sufficing completely, instead, to determine a deviationin a driving operation and then to correct it in a subsequent drivingoperation.

In all the figures of the drawing, sub-features and integral parts thatcorrespond to one another bear the same reference symbol in each case.Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first,particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a diagram of therelationship between a charging voltage Uc and an actuator voltage Up, aprescribed actuator desired value Up_(soll) being illustrated by adashed line. The method according to the invention is described belowwith the aid of this diagram and of a circuit, represented in FIG. 2, ofa driving device for a plurality of capacitive actuators.

The driving of n fuel injection valves (not represented below) of aninternal combustion engine via piezoelectric actuators P1 to Pn isperformed by a control circuit ST which is part of amicroprocessor-controlled engine control unit.

As shown in FIG. 2, there is connected between a positive pole and anegative pole GND of a controllable voltage source SNT, preferably of aswitched-mode power supply SNT, a charging capacitor C1. The chargingcapacitor C1 can be regarded as an output capacitor of the switched-modepower supply SNT and is charged up to an output voltage Uc1 thereof.Disposed in parallel with the charging capacitor C1 is a series circuitcomposed of a charging switch X1, which is connected to the positivepole and passes current away from it, and a discharging switch X2, whichis connected to the negative pole GND and passes current toward it.

The switches X1 and X2 are electronic switches, preferably thyristorswitches, which pass current only in one direction, contain at least onesemiconductor element and are turned on by the control circuit ST.

Situated between the connection point of the charging switch X1 and thedischarging switch X2 and a frame terminal GND is a series circuitcomposed of a charge-reversing capacitor C2, a ring-around coil L, afirst actuator P1 and a first, controlled power MOSFET switch T1.

For each further actuator, a series circuit composed of an actuator P2to Pn and a further power MOSFET switch T2 to Tn is connected inparallel with the series circuit composed of the first actuator P1 andthe first power MOSFET switch T1.

Disposed in parallel with the series circuits composed of the actuatorP1-Pn and the power MOSFET switch T1-Tn is a diode D which passescurrent away from the frame terminal GND toward the ring-around coil L.Power MOSFET switches usually include inverse diodes whose function, asexplained in more detail further below, are employed in operating thedevice according to the invention.

The switches X1, X2 and T1 to Tn are controlled by the control circuitST in accordance with a program, assigned to the method according to theinvention, as a function of control signals st of the engine controlunit, of the actuator voltage Up and of a voltage Uc2 present across thecharge-reversing capacitor C2 after discharging of the actuator P1-Pn.

The method according to the invention for successively driving theplurality of capacitive actuators P1-Pn is explained in more detailbelow for the actuator P1 with the aid of the flowchart represented inFIG. 3 on the basis of the circuit shown in FIG. 2. The individualboxes, assigned to the respective method states, are marked by referencenumerals.

The charging voltage Uc (=Uc1+Uc2) is prescribed an initial value A(state 0) in the first driving operation when the vehicle is started.The value of the charging voltage Uc can be a function of an enginetemperature: Uc=f(T), since the actuator capacitance can vary by afactor 2 in the engine temperature range.

In the case of a first driving operation, the charge-reversing capacitorC2 is discharged, Uc2=0V (state 10). Consequently, the output voltage ofthe controllable voltage source SNT is set to the voltage Uc1=Uc(initial value A) (state 20).

In a state 30, in which the ring-around coil L is deenergized, all ofthe switches X1, X2 and T1 to Tn are turned off (of high resistance),and all the actuators P1 to Pn are discharged. The aim is to operate theactuator P1 in order to inject fuel into the cylinder via the assignedinjection valve. Firstly, the control circuit directs the correspondingactuator P1, for example, (state 40) by turning on the power MOSFETswitch T1 assigned to it. T1 can remain turned on (of low resistance)via a crank shaft angle KW=720° KW/Z (Z=number of cylinders), that is tosay, for example, 180° KW for four-cylinder engines and 120° KW forsix-cylinder engines.

At the start of injection, which is prescribed by the control signalst=1 (state 50), the charging switch X1 is triggered by the controlcircuit ST (state 60). Consequently, the charging voltage Uc present onthe series circuit composed of the capacitors C1 and C2 is dischargedduring a completely sinusoidal half oscillation via the ring-around coilL into the actuator P1, and the latter opens the non-illustratedinjection valve. The voltage source, i.e. the switched-mode power supplySNT, remains connected to the charging capacitor C1, with the resultthat it also feeds energy into the resonant circuit.

After the charging process, the charging switch X1 is automaticallyswitched off (state 70), and the actuator P1 is charged to an actuatorvoltage Up_(ist). The result in FIG. 1 is a point of intersection S ofthe charging voltage Uc and the actuator voltage Up_(ist).

The actual value of the actuator voltage Up_(ist), established at theactuator P1 at an end of the charging cycle, is communicated to thecontrol circuit ST which compares it with a prescribed desired valueUp_(soll) illustrated by the dashed line in FIG. 1 (states 80 and 90).

If the actual value Up_(ist) is greater than the desired value Up_(soll)(state 80), a new value is determined for the charging voltage Uc:Uc_(new)=Uc_(old)-DU (state 110) is determined for the next drivingoperation of the actuator P1. A lower actuator voltage Up_(ist) is thenset thereupon in the next driving operation. If the actual valueUp_(ist) is, however, less than the desired value Up_(soll) (state 90),a larger, new value for the charging voltage Uc: Uc_(new)=Uc_(old)+DU(state 120) is determined for the next driving operation. If the valueUp_(ist) is equal to the desired value Up_(soll) (state 100), thecharging voltage Uc remains unchanged at the next driving operation ofthe actuator P1. As described and indicated by arrows in FIG. 1, theprocess of approximation to the desired value can be performedincrementally by prescribed steps DU, or according to any desiredprocess of approximation.

The discharging switch X2 is fired (state 140) in order to discharge theactuator P1 at the end (removal) of the control signal st (state 130).The discharging circuit is closed via the inverse diode of the powerMOSFET switch T1. The energy stored in the actuator P conducts back viathe ring-around coil L into the charge-reversing capacitor C2; theenergy stored in it can be used for the next driving operation.

As soon as the actuator P1 is discharged to the threshold voltage of thediode D connected in parallel to the “active” channel, the current stillflowing is continued via the diode, thereby preventing the actuator P1from being charged to a negative voltage. The discharging switch X2 issubsequently automatically switched off (state 150).

For the next driving operation of the actuator P1, the chargingcapacitor C1 must be recharged to a voltage Uc1=Uc-Uc2, for whichpurpose Uc2 is measured (state 10). It is thereby possible to determineUc1=Uc-Uc2 (state 20). The switched-mode power supply SNT is set to thisvalue for the next driving operation of the actuator P1, and thecharging capacitor C1 is thereby charged to Uc1. The values determinedin this driving operation are used to carry out the next drivingoperation, from state 30. The driving operations for the other actuatorsP2 to Pn correspond to the method described for the actuator P1.

We claim:
 1. A method for driving at least one capacitive actuator,including a piezoelectrically operated fuel injection valve of aninternal combustion engine, which comprises: charging, at a start of adriving operation, an actuator of a plurality of actuators with aprescribable charging voltage via a coil from a series circuit composedof a charging capacitor and a charge-reversing capacitor, anddischarging the actuator into the charge-reversing capacitor at an endof the driving operation; comparing an actuator voltage of the actuatordue to the prescribable charging voltage with a prescribed desired-valuevoltage; determining a new charging voltage for a next driving operationin dependence on a difference between the prescribed desired-valuevoltage and the actuator voltage; and charging the charging capacitorfor the next driving operation to a voltage corresponding to adifference between the new charging voltage and a voltage present acrossthe charge-reversing capacitor.
 2. The method according to claim 1,which comprises setting at a start of the driving operation a prescribedvalue for the prescribable charging voltage for each of the plurality ofactuators.
 3. The method according to claim 2, which comprises settingthe prescribed value for the prescribable charging voltage in dependenceon an engine temperature.
 4. A device for driving at least onecapacitive actuator, comprising: a voltage source having a positive poleand a negative pole; a charging capacitor disposed between said positivepole and said negative pole; a control circuit controlling said voltagesource; a first series circuit disposed parallel to said chargingcapacitor and containing a charging switch connected to said positivepole for conducting current away from said positive pole and adischarging switch connected to said negative pole for conductingcurrent toward said negative pole; a ground terminal; a second seriescircuit disposed between a connection point of said charging switch andsaid discharging switch and said ground terminal, said second seriescircuit containing a charge reversing capacitor having a rechargevoltage connected to said charging switch and a coil; at least one thirdseries circuit connected in series with said second series circuit andcontaining an actuator having an actuator voltage and a controlledPower-MOSFET-switch; and a diode disposed parallel to said at least onethird series circuit and conducting from said ground terminal to saidcoil.
 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said voltage source isa switched-mode power supply.
 6. The device according to claim 4,wherein said control circuit is a part of a microprocessor-controlledengine control unit, said control circuit being fed as input variablescontrol signals for driving said actuator, said actuator voltage presentat a respectively driven actuator and said recharge voltage presentacross said charge-reversing capacitor, said control circuit furthercontrolling said charging switch, said discharging switch and saidPower-MOSFET-switch for charging and discharging said actuator.
 7. Thedevice according to claim 4, wherein said charging switch and saiddischarging switch are electronic semiconductor switches passing currentonly in one direction.
 8. The device according to claim 4, wherein saidat least one third series circuit is a plurality of third seriescircuits disposed parallel to each other and all in series with saidsecond series circuit.